It was with a shock that I realized that I haven't posted an article on my blog since the end of April! I won't bore you with the details of all the things that conspired to keep me away from my computer, but one of those things was the wrestle I was having with the voices in my head telling me that, after almost 30 years creating fabric or fiber art in one form or another, it's time to strike out on a different path, to venture into a completely new medium.

I've been resisting the voices for some time now ("Change is too hard"!) but have finally capitulated to my budding love affair with poured acrylic abstract paintings. With pouring, the paint - which is usually like a gel or paste - is made more fluid and pourable by the addition of water and fluid acrylic mediums. The paint is poured onto the canvas, then the canvas is tilted and turned to make the paint move around the canvas.

As in silk painting with dyes, pouring is very much a "go with the flow" process, with limited control by the artist. It's both freeing and intimidating at the same time! The resulting patterns and textures depend on the interaction of the paints with each other while they are wet and moving. A palette knife swiped over the poured paint yields even more mesmerizing, unpredictable patterns.

Some paintings have no particular imagery; others are reminiscent of water or flowers (but then I see flowers in everything!).

I know that I'll probably lose some of you, dear readers, who aren't interested in abstract art. I want you to know how much I've appreciated your moral and tangible support over the years. But I hope you'll consider continuing to share my journey. I'm happy to say that I've sold a few paintings already, which is very encouraging!